TECHNIQUE-BASED TRAINING
Meisner Technique Intensive Amsterdam
Open Frame Studios offers two separate three-month Meisner intensives that together form one progressive six-month training path.
If you are new to the Meisner technique or have limited previous experience, we recommend taking Meisner Foundations followed directly by Meisner Character & Performance. Completing both intensives back to back gives you the continuity and momentum of the full training progression.
You are not required to commit to all six months. Foundations can be taken on its own, and you may apply for Character & Performance at a later date. Actors with substantial previous Meisner training may also apply directly to Character & Performance, subject to interview.
Get out of your head and into the moment.
Meisner training places the actor’s attention on the other person. Instead of planning a result, judging the work while it is happening, or trying to produce an emotion, the actor learns to respond to behavior, circumstances, and impulse.
This is not a two-year conservatory program. It is an intensive six-month training path based on the progression of traditional two-year Meisner training. Foundations develops the core habits commonly built during the first year. Character & Performance carries that work into impediments, character, deeper preparation, text, and performance.
Alongside the Meisner exercises, classes include physical and ensemble warm-ups, movement exploration, and derolling practices. The movement work helps actors explore physical behavior, impulse, relationship, and character within the context of the technique. Derolling exercises help actors step out of the work at the end of a class or exercise. These practices support the Meisner work and help actors work with greater physical freedom, awareness, and responsiveness.
The Neighborhood Playhouse, where Sanford Meisner developed the technique, describes the work as training actors to focus on the other person and respond truthfully under imaginary circumstances. Repetition, independent activity, emotional preparation, and scene work are commonly used as the work develops.
THE TRAINING PATH
Two intensives. One complete Meisner progression.
Meisner Foundations Intensive
September 21 – December 17, 2026
Meisner Character & Performance Intensive
January 4 – April 1, 2027
Complete Six-Month Training Track
Commit to both programs from the beginning and follow the complete progression through the Open Frame Meisner Showcase.
Meisner Foundations Intensive
The Meisner Foundations Intensive is the primary entry point into the Open Frame Meisner training path. It focuses on listening, truthful behavior, impulse, relationship, and learning to work moment to moment without planning the result.
Actors build the core habits of the technique through repetition, independent activity, relationship work, emotional preparation, and the gradual introduction of text and scene work. The goal is not to manufacture emotion or perform an idea of the scene. The work develops the actor’s ability to listen fully, respond honestly, and trust what is happening between people in the moment.
The work includes
- Reality of doing
- Listening and observation
- Repetition and behavioral repetition
- Independent activities
- Difficulty, stakes, and the knock at the door
- Relationships and personalization
- Imaginary circumstances
- Emotional preparation
- Beginning text and scene work
- Trusting impulse rather than planning behavior
Dates | September 21 – December 17, 2026 |
Days / Time | Mondays + Thursdays, 19:00-22:00 |
Location | Diez Gallery, Gibraltarstraat 74-B, 1055 NS Amsterdam. |
Total | 24 classes / approximately 78 classroom hours |
Tuition | €1,995 including VAT |
Payment plan | €300 deposit, remainder of first class €365, then €665 per month for two months |
Who this class is for
- Actors new to Meisner training
- Actors who want a structured foundation in the technique
- Working actors who want to strengthen listening, instinct, and emotional availability
- Actors trained in other approaches who want to explore Meisner work
- Students who want to continue into Meisner Character & Performance Intensive
What actors develop
- Stronger moment-to-moment listening
- Greater trust in natural impulses
- More truthful, specific behavior under imaginary circumstances
- A practical understanding of emotional preparation
- Less self-monitoring and overthinking in performance
- A foundation for applying Meisner work to text and scene study
- Eligibility to continue into Meisner Character & Performance Intensive
Admission
Open to actors at different stages of experience. Previous Meisner training is not required. Admission is by interview so we can learn about the actor’s background, goals, readiness for the work, and fit with the ensemble.
Meisner Character & Performance Intensive
The Meisner Character & Performance Intensive continues beyond the foundational exercises and moves into stronger points of view, impediments, character development, deeper emotional preparation, text, and performance.
The actor is asked to expand beyond familiar behavior while keeping the truthful, responsive foundation developed through Meisner work. Character and text are approached without abandoning the central principle of living truthfully under imaginary circumstances.
The Meisner Character & Performance Intensive culminates in the Open Frame Meisner Showcase.
The work includes
- Repetition refresher and continued partner work
- Relationships and heightened circumstances
- Opposing points of view
- Deeper emotional preparation
- Impediments
- Character development
- Mother Goose / nursery rhyme work
- Spoon River Anthology
- Scene and text work at a deeper level
- Applying the technique to performance
- Showcase rehearsal and preparation
- Open Frame Meisner Showcase
Dates | January 4 – April 1, 2027 |
Days / Time | Mondays + Thursdays, 19:00-22:00 |
Location | Diez Gallery, Gibraltarstraat 74-B, 1055 NS Amsterdam. |
Total | Approximately 78 classroom hours |
Potential final/showcase date | April 8, 2027 |
Tuition | €2,200 including VAT |
Payment plan | €300 deposit, remainder of first class €434, then €733 per month for two months |
Who this class is for
- Graduates of Open Frame Meisner Foundations Intensive
- Actors with substantial previous Meisner training from another teacher or program
- Actors ready to move from foundational Meisner exercises into character, text, and performance work
What actors develop
- A stronger personal point of view
- Greater behavioral and emotional range
- The ability to transform physically and vocally without losing truthful behavior
- A deeper relationship to character and text
- More freedom inside heightened circumstances
- A practical bridge from technique into rehearsal and performance
- Experience integrating the work in preparation for a live showcase
Admission
Admission is through either completion of Open Frame Meisner Foundations Intensive, or substantial previous Meisner training with another teacher or program, subject to interview. The interview is used to determine whether the actor has the foundational Meisner work needed to enter directly into the character, text, and performance stage of the training.
Actors trained elsewhere are welcome to apply. The Meisner Character & Performance Intensive is not restricted to actors who completed Foundations at Open Frame.
CHOOSE YOUR ENTRY POINT
Where should you begin?
New to Meisner
Begin with Meisner Foundations. Even if you have encountered repetition or introductory Meisner exercises before, the Foundations Intensive may still be the right starting point. For the fullest progression, we recommend continuing directly into Character & Performance, although you may also return for the second intensive later.
Previous substantial Meisner training
You may apply directly to Character & Performance. During the interview, we will discuss your previous training and whether you have the foundational work needed to enter at this stage.
Want the complete progression
Commit to both intensives from the beginning and complete the full six-month training path at the reduced combined tuition.
The exact pace of the training is set by the instructor and the needs of the cohort. Progress depends on attendance, preparation, and consistent work between classes.
YOUR INSTRUCTOR
Train with Dustin Lewis
Dustin Lewis is the founder of Open Frame Studios, an actor, and an instructor with more than 30 years of professional acting and teaching experience.
His teaching connects Meisner work to the practical demands of auditions, rehearsals, stage, and screen. The focus is on building a process that is specific, honest, and usable, without asking the actor to perform for approval or chase a predetermined result.
Dustin remains the lead instructor across both intensives, providing continuity from the foundational work through character, scene, text, and performance.
Training dates
2026-2027
COMPLETE SIX-MONTH PROGRESSION
Both programs meet on Monday and Thursday evenings from 19:00 to 22:00. Foundations runs from September through December 2026. Character & Performance begins in January 2027.
September 2026
Monday 21 September
Thursday 24 September
Monday 28 September
October 2026
Thursday 1 October
Monday 5 October
Thursday 8 October
Monday 12 October
Thursday 15 October
Monday 19 October
Thursday 22 October
Monday 26 October
Thursday 29 October
November 2026
Monday 2 November
Thursday 5 November
Monday 9 November
Thursday 12 November
Monday 16 November
Thursday 19 November
Monday 23 November
Thursday 26 November
Monday 30 November
December 2026
Thursday 3 December
Monday 7 December
Thursday 10 December
Monday 14 December
Thursday 17 December
Monday 21 December 2026 through Sunday 3 January 2027.
January 2027
Monday 4 January
Thursday 7 January
Monday 11 January
Thursday 14 January
Monday 18 January
Thursday 21 January
Monday 25 January
Thursday 28 January
February 2027
Monday 1 February
Thursday 4 February
Monday 8 February
Thursday 11 February
Monday 15 February
Thursday 18 February
Monday 22 February
Thursday 25 February
March 2027
Monday 1 March
Thursday 4 March
Monday 8 March
Thursday 11 March
Monday 15 March
Thursday 18 March
Monday 22 March
Thursday 25 March
Monday 29 March
April 2027
Thursday 1 April
April 8 is reserved as a potential final/showcase date.
TUITION
Choose your training option
Each three-month intensive can be taken separately. Actors who commit to both programs from the beginning receive reduced tuition for the Complete Meisner Training Track.
MEISNER FOUNDATIONS INTENSIVE
including VAT
- 3 months
- 24 classes
- Payment plan option:
- €300 deposit
- €365 before first class
- €665/month for 2 months
MEISNER CHARACTER & PERFORMANCE INTENSIVE
including VAT
- 3 months
- Live industry showcase
- Payment plan option:
- €300 deposit
- €434 before first class
- €733/month for 2 months
COMPLETE MEISNER TRAINING TRACK
including VAT
- Save €300.00
- 6 months
- 52 classes
- Foundations + Character & Performance
- Payment plan option:
- €300 deposit
- €350 before first class
- €649/month for 5 months
Application and interview are required before enrollment.
A place is not confirmed until the applicant has been accepted and the required first payment has been received.
HOW TO JOIN
Apply for Meisner Training
Apply
Tell us about your experience, training, goals, and availability.
Interview
Meet with Dustin to discuss your background and the right entry point.
Enroll
Accepted applicants choose their payment option and complete enrollment.
The application is the beginning of a conversation.
It is not a test of whether you already understand the technique.
APPLICATION
Tell us about your experience, goals, and availability. If you are unsure which training option is right for you, select “Not sure” and we will discuss the best starting point during your interview.
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QUESTIONS
Practical information
Do I need previous Meisner training?
Previous Meisner training is not required for Foundations. It is designed for actors who are new to the technique or have limited previous experience. Direct entry into Character & Performance requires either completion of Foundations or substantial previous Meisner training, subject to interview.
Readiness for Meisner training will be discussed during the interview. If you’d like to read more about the technique before applying, Terry Knickerbocker Studio’s overview is a good starting point.
Is this a drop-in class?
No. The work is progressive and the actors train as one cohort.
Can I join after the program has started?
Late entry is not recommended because each stage builds on the work completed earlier. Any exception would need to be approved by the instructor.
What happens if I miss a class?
Consistent attendance is expected because much of the training is partner-based. Any anticipated absence should be discussed before enrollment. The complete attendance and make-up policy will be provided before you accept a place.
Are the classes taught in English?
Yes. Classes are taught in English.
What is included in the tuition?
Tuition includes all scheduled classes and supervised scene work. Character & Performance also includes showcase rehearsal and participation. Students are expected to have their own copy of Sanford Meisner’s On Acting before the first class.
Is a payment plan available?
Yes. Each training option has a payment plan. After acceptance, a €300 deposit secures your place. The next payment is due before the first class, followed by the monthly installments shown in the tuition section. All prices include VAT.
Where is the intensive held?
The program is scheduled to take place at Diez Gallery, Gibraltarstraat 74-B, 1055 NS Amsterdam.
Ready to Begin Your Meisner Training?
Apply for Foundations, Character & Performance, or the complete six-month track. If you are unsure which option fits your experience, choose “Not sure” in the application and we will discuss the best starting point during your interview.